Real Madrid: Why Jose Mourinho Will Win the UEFA Champions League This Year

Real Madrid made it through to the last eight of the UEFA Champions League after they knocked out Manchester United 3-2 on aggregate on Tuesday night, leaving fans wondering if they were really capable of winning the tournament.

While Madrid's performance on the night didn't scream of invincibility—certainly boss Jose Mourinho didn't think so—they did, nonetheless, make the most of the opportunities presented to them and go on to win the game.

Knock-out football always hides its surprises, and one of those might be Real Madrid finally ending up with their 10th European Cup success.

The one overriding reason that the Spanish team could achieve it, in this season of relative underachievement so far, is their manager, Mourinho.

Possibility of Big Rivals Dropping out

The Ukrainian side's inability to be a major force away from home might have meant that they were not likely to seriously challenge for the Champions League, but United certainly could have.

So fell one rival for the cup.

Barcelona are on the verge of an exit against AC Milan, themselves perceived as a relatively weak option to land the trophy, while fellow Spanish sides Malaga and Valencia could exit at the last 16 stage too.

Bayern Munich and Juventus likely remain the big obstacles on the road to success, but they could easily be paired together or come up against another outsider such as Paris St. Germain.

Nobody Expects Him to

As much as it is worth noting that certain players in his squad have a big ego, it cannot be ignored that the manager himself also possesses one.

And with reason; he's already won the Champions League with Porto and with Inter Milan—now he wants a third with Real Madrid.

With his side not running away with the domestic league, few are expecting them to go the distance in Europe either, and Mourinho more than anybody will want to prove people wrong.

Real's double victory over Barcelona recently, allied to their win over Manchester United in the Champions League, could see them hit form at just the right time to make a huge impact in this competition.

Mourinho himself will believe he is capable of winning it for a third time, and will want everyone else to see how good he is by springing the ultimate surprise.